Heat insulating material



Feb. 26, c w BECKER HEAT INSULATING MATERIAL 16 06 l/A/E CaMpmzrsz-o 70 A paw/r) 0F 4 r0 /0 02. f/wzramaz r 702.) Pm BOAAO roar #510 AW 44/ As /m: imam Filed March 15, 1933 mp aanr or lap/var Patented Feb. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES 1,992,906 HEAT INSULATING MATERIAL Charles W. Becker, Chicago, Wilson & Co. Inc., Chicago,

of Delaware 11]., assig'nor to 11]., a corporation Application March 15, .1933, Serial No. 660,974

3 Claims.

This invention consists in a novel insulating material and is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view diagrammatically illustrating a section of the material before the exterior dip coat of asphalt is applied and Fig. 2 is a similar view after the application of such coat, a fragment of the coat being broken away.

The insulating material is mainly hogs hair.

The individual hairs run from three-fourths of optimum for insulation purposes being about seven ounces. The material is held in or compressed into reticulated metal boxes which determine the shape of the finished product. In appearance, the hair does not at all resemble felt. On the contrary, the hairs are in no sense matted together, and the general impression is much more like that of a fairly tight horsehair mattress than a felt made of any less stiff hair.

The insulating blocks having been thus formed and held in shape, are then dipped in a solution of about 20% asphalt and solvent. Carbon tetrachloride is preferred as the solvent because of its non-inflammability. In order to conserve the solvent and to permit proper draining of the asphalt solution, the clipping is preferably performed in closed vessels into which the asphalt solution is flowed to cover and saturate the blocks and from which it is then withdrawn. The blocks then drain for a prolonged period under conditions where no substantial evaporation of the solvent occurs. To complete the block, the asphalt solvent is evaporated. This operation is preferably performed in a closed receptacle from which the evaporated solvent is led'to a condenser. The evaporation is preferably carried out with steam. The block, when released from the reticulated receptacle in which it was dipped and evaporated, maintains substantially the shape of the receptacle.

When the operation is completed, the insulating slab contains about 15% of asphalt and hair by weight. The block is quite rigid, has no tendency to spall ofi or break up under any ordinary conditions including violent change of temperature, has very little aifinity for moisture, and has an insulating value substantially equal to the best cork. It is very much lighter than other insulators, is very little attacked by rats, and affords an outlet for a hitherto largely useless product of the meat packing industry.

Commercial blocks are made as described and shipped without the need for any other coating or protection. When they are about to be used, they are ordinarily dipped in melted asphalt. Such is the density and structure of the block, that the melted asphalt penetrates only about onesixteenth of an inch, thus forming outer thoroughly impermeable coatings as illustrated in the drawing, without any change in the interior body of the block.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1. The herein described insulating block formed of interlaced hog hair compressed to a density of four to ten ounces per board foot and molded to the form of a rectangular prism, the individual hog hairs throughout the block being coated with an asphaltic binder which unites the hairs at their intersections.

2. The block of claim 1 in which the hog hair is compressed to a density of approximately seven ounces for board foot.

3. The block of claim 1 having on its exterior an impermeable layer of asphalt penetrating the block to a depth in the order of inch.

CHARLES W. BECKER. 

